Crimp beads and Crimp tubes are a vital element when designing with nylon coated jewelry wire. What's the difference between a crimp bead and a crimp tube? Crimp beads are round and look like little metal seed beads. Crimp tubes are more cylindrical. Crimp beads take up less space in your design, but crimp tubes offer more surface contact with the wire, thus making them a bit more secure. Basically, you'll want to select a crimp tube when finishing off the ends of necklaces and bracelets, or when your crimp will not be highly visible. Choose a crimp bead when incorporating crimps into more visible areas of your designs such as when showcasing your wire, illusion designs, and when using them as accent beads or spacers.Use a crimp forming plier for best crimping results.